PALM (Preparing Arab-world Leaders for Ministry)

Imagine for a moment: You’re a believer in Jesus, but you must keep quiet about that fact, or risk harm to you or your young family. Your parents and grown siblings have placed threats upon your life, suspecting that you have left Islam, the religion of your ancestors and culture. And these threats aren’t empty; your friend, one of the three other believers you’ve known to date, was slain for his faith in Jesus. You cannot openly read the Bible, and you are afraid to discuss your faith with anyone.

These types of realities are being experienced by believers from a Muslim background across the Arab world. Their families and communities cannot support their decision for Christ. The environments in which they live are hostile to the Gospel and to those who carry the Gospel.

With very limited ability to connect with other believers, how do they experience fellowship in the faith? And how are they equipped to share their faith with or disciple others?

These are crucial questions. Answering them has been the mission of PALM (Preparing Arab-world Leaders for Ministry).

PALM hosts discipleship and training programs in closed countries of the Arab world, seeking to meet the needs of our Arab brothers and sisters in three strategic ways:

1) The materials are tailored to Muslim-background believers, addressing the specific challenges they confront in their journey of faith. Lessons are delivered in local languages by those who understand the challenges faced in Muslim contexts. This unique approach seeks to fill the void of discipleship opportunities for Muslim-background believers, helping them become thoroughly grounded in the Word.

2) The programs are developed in such a way as to make them accessible to those living in hostile environments. Participants don’t need to travel out of country. In this way, we can strengthen the faith of local believers without removing them from their most strategic place of ministry—their homeland. Moreover, with time, we can even create trusted connections between isolated believers who wouldn’t otherwise know each other; in these places where there are so few believers, and where each one is guarded about confessing his or her faith to another, this is a crucial step to establishing community.

3) The lessons are taught in a reproducible manner; this helps to equip disciples to lead others to faith and maturity. The long-term vision here is the training of leaders for the Arab Church. In some places, we see the embryo of a small faith community. But the would-be pastors often lack training and solid doctrinal instruction. PALM seeks to address this need through our specially designed programs. Recently, as we were training some Arab Christians who are ministering to Saudi believers, they told us, “For years, we have looked for a program like this. This is precisely what we need.”

Would you like to partner with this ministry? Do you sense the Lord asking you to get involved?

Your financial gift can help deliver discipleship materials, personal encouragement, and ongoing training to a Muslim-background believer. With your help, we can prepare leaders in the infancy of the Church in the Arab world, to the glory of God.